Tongue-switch.



No. 790,335.y

UNITED STATES Pafteritel May S, 1905. l

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM CLARK WOOD, O F HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO NEW YORK SWITCHt CROSSING COMPANY,

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A

TONGUE-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,335, dated May 23,1905. Application filed January l,1905. Serial No. 239,634.

T0 LZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM CLARK WOOD, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and

a resident of the city of Hoboken, in the State I ofNew Jersey, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Tongue Switches, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to tongue-s witches for street-railway serviceand it consists in certain novel combinations of partshereinafter setforth and claimed.

The leading object of the present invention is to compel the movablepoint or tongue to lay firmly at either side lof the switch-groovewithout the aid of a block In the improved tongue-switch the tongue isheld in its respective positions of rest by an automatic safety device,as hereinafter set forth. E A v Another object of the invention is toApivot the tongue in a simple and effective manner,

said safety device serving to keep the pivot in Working condition.

Other objects will be set forth in the general description whichfollows.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specifcation as part thereof.

Figure lis a top view of the improved tongueswitch with the cover of thesafety-device housing removed. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinalsection in an approximately central plane. Fig. 3 represents across-section on the line A B, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a top view of thetongue detached. Fig. 5 represents a cross-section on the line C D, Fig.4t; and Fig. 6 represents a cross-section on the line E F, Fig. 4, saidcross-sections being drawnV on a larger scale. Like reference charactersrefer to like parts in all the'igures. l

The body a of the improved switch and the connections of said body withthe adjoining Vrails 1, 2, and' may be of any known or improveddescription. Vithin the switchbody a, and preferably and conveniently inpart within a steel center Z), the movable point or tongue c isar'ranged, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to be movable horizontallyin customproved construction apart from -the features hereinafterspecified and included in the appended claims, respectively.

For pivoting the tongue c its heel end is constructed with apeculiarly-beveled knuckle 4C, fitted to an undercut pivotal recess 5 inthe adjoining edge of a steel heel-cap d, which is fastened in place byvertical bolts e, having nuts f, Fig. 2, at the bottom of theswitchbody. i For holding the tongue c inl its respective positions ofrest, the tongue itself is provided at or about mid-length, hereinafterdescribed `as at mid-length, with a downwardly-projecting stud-pin 6.(Shown in dotted lines in Figs. l and @and in the plane of sectioninFig. 2.) This shifting pin 6 is pivotally. connected with alaterally-extending lever orv shifting bar 7, having convenientlya notch8 opening said pin. At one side of lthe switch-body a and bolted theretoa housing-box g, open at the top, incloses the remainder of the safetydevice, as shown in Fig. l,which see. The other end of said shiftingbar7 is pivotally connected to a horizontally-swinging clevis 9, whoseother end is pivoted toa fixed support l0, bolted fast within said boxg. At an intermediate'point and preferably at mid-length the shiftingbar 7 is pivotally connected with one end of a spring-strut 11,containing a compressionspring 7L, which tends to hold the tongue cineither of its two positions of rest and in connection with said clevis 9forms an untenable center for the tongue, so that it cannot rest at themiddle of its travel. The other end of said spring-strut l1 has aknuckle-bearing l2, bolted fast within said box g. A screw-nnte'provides for regulating the tension of' the spring /L in assembling theparts of the device. Ordinarily it will require no further attention.

Owing to the construction Aabove particularly described, when the pointof the tongue c is moved from either of its positions of rest past thecenter of its travel its movement is instantly and effectively completedby said safety device, and it is securel y held in its new position ofrest until the resistance of the spring h is overcome. Y

When the tongue c is moved by means of the switch-iron to the center ofits travel, the safety device gives it, in other words, an inclinationto complete the movement and holds the tongue firmly in place againstthe side of the groove toward which it was moved, so that all the wheelsof the car passing over it must take the same run and the spring /L mustbe compressed in order to move the tongue c to the opposite side or awayfrom the position of rest in which it is thus placed. At the same timethe pressure of the spring L, acting through that end of the strut l1that is attached to the shifting bar 7 and through said shifting bar 7and shifting pin 6,tends to keep the bevel of the pivotal knuckle 4 inplace within the pivotal recess 5 of the heel-cap cl, so as to obviatethe employment of other means for preventing the longitudinaldisplacement of the tongue c. It also tends to hold the tongue c firmlydown upon its bed formed in part by said steel center and to maintain anefficient joint between the heel-cap Z and the tongue c.

Instead of being arranged within a strut, as above described, the spring/L may be applied to the opposite edge of the shifting bar 7 in the formof a tension-spring, or the spring /L may be placed directly under thetongue c either in front of the shifting pin 6 orbehind the same; but Ifind in practice that it is preferable to use the shifting bar, clevis,and spring-strut housed within a suitable boX bolted to one side of theswitch-body, as above described. The clevis 9 makes said untenablecenter very acute or sensitive. 1t also forms a strut or brace oppositethe springstrut 1] and constitutes the fulcrum of the shifting bar 7.Other forms of movable fulcrum may, however, be substituted for saidclevis 9, and other like modifications will suggest themselves to thoseskilled in the art.

Having thus described said improvement, I claim as my invention anddesire to patent under this specification- 1. The combination,substantially as hereinbefore specified, of a switch-tongue having anundercut pivotal bearing at its heel end and having the customaryhorizontal travel from one position of rest to another, and a safetydevice for insuring completed movements of the tongue, said safetydevice including a horizontally-arranged spring acting upon said tongueand tending to hold the tongue in one or the other of' its positions ofrest and also to press the heel end of said tongue into such pivotalbearing.

2. rlhe combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, of aswitch-tongue having the customary horizontal travel from one positionof rest to another, and a safety device for insuring completed movementsof the tongue, said safety device comprising` a horizontallymovableshifting bar one end of which is pivotally connected with said tongue, aclevis pivoted to the other end of said bar and forming ahorizontally-movable fulcrum therefor, and a horizontally -arrangedspring acting upon said bar and tending to hold the tongue in itsrespective positions of rest.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, of aswitch-tongue having the customary horizontal travel from one positionof rest to another and provided at mid-length with adownwardly-projeeting shifting pin, and a safety device for insuringcompleted movements of' the tongue, said safety device comprising ahorizontally-movable shifting bar one end of which is pivotallyconnected with said pin, a clevis pivoted to the other end of said barand forming a horizontallymovable fulcrnm, and a horizontally-arrangedspring acting upon said bar and tending to hold the tongue in itsresgective positions of rest.

4. The combination, snbstantiall y as hereinbefore specified, of' aswitch-tongue having the customary horizontal travel from one positionof rest to another and provided at mid-length with adownwardly-projecting shifting pin, and a safety device for insuringcompleted movements of the tongue, said safety device comprising ahorizontally-movable shifting bar one end of which is pivotallyconnected with said pin, a clevis pivoted to the other end of said barand forming a horizontallymovable fulcrum, and a horizontally-arran gedspring acting upon said bar and tending to hold the tongue in itsrespective positions of rest, and a laterally-projccting box forming ahousing for said shifting bar, clevis and spring, and provided withfixed supports for said clevis and spring respectively.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, of aswitch-tongue having the customary horizontal travel from one positionof rest to another and provided with a downwardly-projecting shiftingpin, a laterallyprojecting shifting bar movable horizontally andpivotally connected at one end to said pin, a horizontally-swingingclevis pivoted to the other end of said bar at one edge thereof, aspring -strut provided with a compressionspring and pivotally connectedwith said bar at mid-length at its opposite edge, and a box forming ahousing for the laterally-projecting parts and provided with pivotalbearings for said clevis and strut respectively.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, of aswitch-tongue having an undercut pivotal bearing at its heel end, ahorizontally-movable shifting bar pivotally coupled to said tongue atone end, a horizontallyswinging clevis pivoted to the other end of saidbar and forming a horizontally-movable IOO fulcruln, and ahorizontally-arranged spring acting upon said bar at mid-length andtending to hold the tongue in one or the other of its positions of restand also to press the heel end of said .tongue into its said pivotalbearing.

7. rlhe combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, of aswitch-tongue constructed With a beveled knuckle at its heel end, an

.undercut cap interacting with said knuckle as the pivotal bearing ofsaid tongue, a horizontally-movable shifting bar pivotally coupled tosaid pin at one end, a horizontally-swinging clevis pivoted to the otherend of said bar, and a horizontally arranged spring acting upon said barat mid-length and tending to hold the tongue in one or the other of itspositions of rest and also to press the heel end of said tongue into itssaid pivotal bearing.

8. Atongue-switch having, in combination,

a horizontallymovable tongue constructed vided With pivotal supports forsaid clevis and strut respectively, substantially as hereinbeforespecified.

WILLIAM CLARK WOOD.

Witnesses: v

THos. S. EVANS,

lM. F. TWEEDDALE.

